Another Little Piece
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and eighty: Quinn has so many things she wants to say to him, but she doesn't know how...


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eigth cycle. Which MEANS **cycle 9** is here, which MEANS... GLEE IS BACK!! YAY!_

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**"Another Little Piece"  
Puck/Quinn**

The good outweighed the bad. She tried to keep telling herself that. And it was true. In all the drama that had become her life, especially now that all the cards had been laid out on the table, Puck had come through as someone who would come through for her in those moments where she really needed someone who would do that for her. Yes, those moments existed.

But then there were those other moments, the ones where she just wondered… why even bother?

She knew who he was, he never pretended it wasn't part of who he was… and he reminded it to her in one way or another every time she caught him 'being himself.' Once upon a time, when that would happen, she could just walk away, return to Finn… until the next time Shining Prince Noah made an appearance.

Once she and Finn had lost their way, she'd been left to re-evaluate everything between her and Puck. What it had come down to though, was that for all his faults, Puck was genuinely a good, decent guy, he could be… maybe if she stuck with him, he would lose those tendencies.

Even beyond any actual truths, how she knew who Puck was under the layers of problems for her, the thing was this was much more than truth, it was about needs. She needed to believe that no matter how many people she'd lost over the last few months, there was one person who would remain dependable at her side. If she were ever to lose him too… And it wasn't just about her. Whatever would happen, this was her baby's father, and she needed to know that he would be that guy, the father she could grow up and…

Every time he was the good Puck, the knight, she wondered how long it would be before he popped that bubble and put her up against 'who he is.' She tried not to think about it, but she couldn't…

It would have been easier if she didn't know how much she cared for him, even more so than how she needed him. She'd felt for him for a while, before this all had even started, but she'd only ever seen that one side of him, the one that was tormenting her now. So yes, it would have been easier, it would have been easier if she hadn't come to know the other side.

Sometimes it would get to be too much for her to keep buried. She would want to tell him, really tell him, but she didn't know how he would take it… and that was where she hated the need. She'd just force everything down and go on with her day.

There was one day where she'd come close to it, closest she ever did, even if it had all ever only happened as something out of her mind.

She had not been in too good of a mood to begin with, and then he'd gone and lit the flame. She'd walked away from him, and just as she'd looked over her shoulder, only to catch him chatting up Jenny Wilkins, one of the Cheerios, one Quinn had never particularly cared for.

She'd looked back ahead, quietly trying to swallow it all down. She could see some of the other guys from Glee hanging nearby, Mike, Artie, Kurt, Matt, and suddenly it was as though they were… urging her on.

_[GUYS] "Oh come on, come on, come on, come on"_

She stood there, breathing out her nerves, and it flowed out into song, the one locked in her mind.

_[Q] "Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man, well yeah, / An' didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can ? / Honey, you know I did!"_

As she sang, the four guys seemed to orbit around her, like the willing ear to all of it. Eventually she turned back to look at Puck and Jenny, down the hall, while her chorus stood around her.

_[Q, GUYS] "And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough, / But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough."_

It was a determination she'd wished she had, and as it filled her, it carried her forward, the others still behind her.

_[Q] "I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it, / Take another little piece of my heart now, baby" / [GUYS] "Oh, oh, break a.." / [Q] "Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah" / [GUYS] "Oh, oh, have a.." / [Q] "Hey! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah. / You know you got it if it makes you feel good, / Oh yes indeed."_

She saw him give that smile, to Jenny, and then her feet stopped. She looked back to her chorus, more of her story coming forth.

_[Q] "You're out on the streets looking good, and baby, / Deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right, / Never never never never never never never hear me when I cry at night. / Baby, I cry all the time!"_

The more she went, the more the fire returned, the frustration, and she came ever nearer to Puck and Jenny, and so did the guys.

_[Q, GUYS] "And each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain, / But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again."_

Eventually there was no more distance to gain. Her chorus wedged a place in for her as Jenny was sent on her way and she would address Puck.

_[Q] "I'll say come on, come on, come on, come on, yeah take it! / Take another little piece of my heart now, baby" / [GUYS] "Oh, oh, break a.." / [Q] "Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah" [GUYS] "Oh, oh, come on…" / [Q] "Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah. / Well, You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good"_

Like anything up until then though, he didn't seem all that affected, and how could he? Her courage may have flooded her mind, but it had yet to breach into the open world. Still her inner cry carried on.

_[Q] "I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it, / Take another little piece of my heart now, baby" / [GUYS] "Oh, oh, break a…" / [Q] "Break another little bit of my heart, darling, yeah" / [GUYS] "Oh, oh, have a…" / [Q] "Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, / You know you got it... Waaaaahhh"_

It was all getting too much, and it felt like a mighty cry, waiting to escape. Her chorus had gathered back around her at that, and her plea ended.

_[Q] "Take a…Take another little piece of my heart now, baby" [GUYS] "Oh, oh, break a…" / [Q] "Break another little bit of my heart, and darling, yeah yeah" / [GUYS] "Oh, oh, have a.." / [Q] "Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, / You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good"_

Puck looked at her, and he was clueless. "Did you say something?" She looked around. Mike and Matt were walking by, talking. Kurt was at his locker, fixing his hair in a mirror, and Artie was hurrying after Tina. Quinn looked back to Puck, who waited.

"No…" she sighed.

"Do you need anything, I…" she shook her head. "Okay," he smiled to her before heading off. She watched him go, hoping that she'd either manage to speak up or that she'd never have to.

THE END


End file.
